Stage construction for theaters and the like



4Nov."15, 1938. G. E. YOUNG STAGE CONSTRUCTION FOR THEATERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 22, 1957 v J6 @meg/20%@ Patented Nov. 15, 1938 ST'AGE CONSTRUCTION FOR THEATERS AND THE LIKE Graeme E. Young, Deerfield, Ill.

Application May 22, 1937, Serial No. 144,245

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in stage construction particularly adapted, though not limited in its use in theaters, for television, and other purposes, and one of thek objects of the same is to provide an improved stage construction embodying a plurality or series of sections, each section being adjustable with respect to the other, and associated with each of the sections is a rotatable platform or table. The sections are adapted to be shifted or bodily moved` with rela.- tion to each other, and each of the platforms or tables are adapted to be rotated with relation to its respective supporting section, and also with relation to the other platforms or tables and upon which sections, as Well as rotatable platforms or tables, may be arranged suitable stage settings, each being operable to facilitate change in scenes or stage settings.

A further object is to provide a stage of this character in which the sections are angular in cross-section whereby when the sections are properly positioned with respect to each other, they will not only provide a substantially continuous or uninterrupted surface, but a considerable area will be provided for the stage settings, within a minimum area, and the sections are so arranged that as large a stage area as may be desired, within the limits of the structure, may be employed.

A further object is to provide in a stage of this character means whereby the sections may be bodily adjusted or shifted to positions out of contacting relation to and with the other sections, then rotated to present another section of scenery, after which the sections are moved back into co-operative relation to form or present the assembled stage relationship.

A further object is to provide an improved stage structure of this character which will be of a simple and compact construction, easily manipulated, and effective and efficient in operation.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects vas will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a stage of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, partly broken away and showing in dotted lines another position in which some of the parts may be moved.

rFigure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a portion of a stage structure showing the manner of adjusting one of the sections with relation to others of the sections,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 3 3, Figure l.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on line ll-, Figure 1.

The stage consists essentially of a plurality of sections I8 of any desired size, construction and configuration, but in the present exemplication of the invention they are shown as being preferably hexagonal in cross-section.

Each of these sections consists essentially of a body portion having supporting surfaces II and is mounted upon a carriage I2, also of any desired or suitable construction. The section II may be supported by the carriage in any suitable nianner so as to rotate about the vertical axis. A simple and eiiicient manner of supporting the section upon the carriage is by means of ball or roller bearings I3 operating in suitable raceways.

The carriage itself may be supported by means of caster wheels Ill that run in tracks or ways I5 having suitable stops IG-I'l at the extremities thereof so that when the carriage I2 is bodily moved the rollers will run upon the tracks I5 and the carriage will be limited in its movement by the stops I6 and Il.

Supported by the section II is a platform or table I8 which is mounted for rotation with respect to the section in any suitable manner and about an upright axis.

A simple and efficient means for so mounting the table or platform are balls or roller bearings I9 which operate in suitable raceways.

The table or platform I8 may be of any desired diameter and may be located with its axis concentric with the axis of the section I I or eccentric with respect thereto, and the table or platform may be located in any desired position with respect to the section upon which it is mounted.

The upper surface of the table or platform I 8 is preferably hush with the upper surface of the section II.

Any number of these sections Il may be employed and they are arranged in abutting relation so that a substantial portion of the periphery of the sections will abut a substantial portion of the periphery of the next adjacent section or sections.

These abutting portions of the peripheries of these sections maintain them against rotation about their vertical axes with respect to their supporting sections.

The sections I0, as shown, being hexagonal in cross-section, one of the faces of each section will abut one of the faces of the next adjacent section. The sections l0 may be arranged about a central platform or table 20 which latter may also be of any desired construction and of any desirable configuration in cross-section.

As shown, the central platform is hexagonal in cross-section and is stationary or non-rotatable and is encompassed by the sections I0.

The sections lil are mounted with respect to the central platform 20 so as to be bodily adjustable toward and away from the latter and radially with respect thereto, the upper surface of the platform 2l] being substantially flush with the upper surface of the sections l0 and the tables When the parts are in the assembled position as shown in full lines in Figure l, the abutting surfaces of the sections with respect to the platform 20, will maintain the sections I0 locked or against rotation about their Vertical axes and in this position any suitable stage setting or scenery may be placed upon the sections and platforms, or if the stage is employed for television, the televisor may be mounted upon the platform 2i) and if it is desired to employ a larger area of the stage construction than can be employed when the televisor is mounted upon the platform 20, it may be moved to any position and upon any of the sections or tables or platforms to command a greater area of the stage.

The scenery to be used in the instant case is arranged or erected when the sections are as shown in full lines in Figure l.

At the same time additional scenes or sections of scenery may be placed upon the sections I0, as well as the tables i8, so that when the sections I0 are shifted or the tables I8 rotated, or both, they will be brought into view in conjunction with or in place of the scenes which would be employed with the parts in position as shown in full lines in Figure l, or co-operate with each other to form new scenes or stage settings after the previously arranged scenes have been moved out of position for use.

This change or shifting is effected by moving the carriage "2 from the full line position shown in Figure l to the dotted line position, thereby moving the contacting portions of the peripheries of adjacent sections out of engagement. This will permit the section Il) to be swung about its vertical or upright axis as shown more clearly in Figure 2 to position any predetermined portion of the section with respect to the other sections.

The section is then moved back into the full line position shown in Figure l so as to co-operate with the other sections and so that it will be maintained against rotation.

Obviously any form of mechanism may be employed, necessary or desirable for the purpose, to rotate the various sections and tables.

ln the present exemplication of the invention, however, the structure is so designed that the various parts may be adjusted or rotated manually.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:-

1. A stage of the character described embodying a stationary platform, a plurality of sections angular in cross-section encompassing said platform and arranged in side by side relation, extended portions of the peripheries of each of said sections abutting the periphery of said platform, other extended portions of the peripheries of the sections abutting the peripheries of the next adjacent sections, said sections when in assembled relation forming a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface about said platform, means mounting said sections for bodily adjustment with respect to each other and radially towards and away from said stationary platform, and out of and back again into side by side contacting relation with each other, means for limiting such radial adjustment and for maintaining said sections in fixed relation With respect to each other, and means also mounting said sections for rotation about vertical axes when the sections are out of contacting side by side relation, whereby to position the moved section in a different side by side relation to an adjoining section.

2. A stage of the character described embodying a stationary platform, a plurality of sections angular in cross-section encompassing said platform and arranged in side by side relation, extended portions of the peripheries of each of said sections abutting the periphery of said platform, other extended portions of the peripheries of the sections abutting the perlpheries of the next adjacent sections, said sections when in assembled relation forming a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface about said platform, means mounting said sections for bodily adjustment with respect to each other and radially towards and away from said stationary platform, and out of side by side relation and back again into contact with each other, means for limiting such radial -adjustment and for maintaining said sections in fixed relation with respect to each other, means also mounting said sections for rotation about vertical axes when the sections are out of side by side relation, whereby to position the moved section in a different side by side relation to an adjoining section, and a platform or table of substantial diameter revolvably mounted upon each of said sections.

3. A stage of the character described embodying a stationary platform provided with a plurality of peripheral faces, a plurality of sections encompassing said platform and being arranged in side by side relation with respect to each other, said sections having abutting faces, each of the said faces of said sections also adapted to be brought into abutting relation with the said faces of said platform, means affording a bodily relative movement of said sections one toward and away from the other and out of side by side relation, and also toward and away from the platform whereby any predetermined one or more of said sections may, when moved away from each other and also from the platform, be rotated about its axis to position other faces of its periphery to be moved into different side by side relation, and also abutting relation to the platform, means for limiting the movement of the said sections radially away from the stationary platform and for maintaining the sections in fixed positions with relation to each other, the said sections at all times in assembled relation providing a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface of substantial radial depth about said platform.

4. A stage of the character described embodying a platform, a plurality of hexagonal spaced sections, said sections arranged in side by side relation and encompassing said platform with the proximate faces of adjacent sections abutting, thereby providing a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface encompassing said platform, means affording a bodily radial movement of said sections one toward and away from the other and out of side by side relation whereby any predetermined one or more of said sections may, when moved away from each other and out of side by side relation, be rotated about its axis to position other faces of its periphery to be moved into different side by side abutting relation to the proximate face of the next adjacent section, all of the abutting faces of the sections and of the platform being of substantially equal areas, stop means for limiting such radial movement of the sections away from the platform and for maintaining the sections in fixed positions with relation to each other, and a platform or table of substantial diameter revolvably mounted upon one or more said sections.

5. A stage of the character described embodying a platform provided with a plurality of peripheral faces arranged at angles to each other, a plurality of sections, each of said sections provided with a plurality of angularly disposed peripheral faces, said sections arranged in side by side relation and encompassing said platform with the proximate faces of adjacent sections abutting and the proximate faces of the platform and of the sections also abutting, thereby providing a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface with and also encompassing said platform, means affording a radial bodily relative movement of said sections one toward and away from the other and out of side by side relation, whereby any predetermined one or more of said sections may, when moved away from each other and from the platform, and out of side by side relation, be rotated about its axis to position other faces of its periphery to be moved into a different side by side abutting relation to the proximate face of the next adjacent section and of the platform, a supporting surface on which said sections are movable, and stops co-operating with said surface to limit such radial movement.

6. A stage of the character described embodying a platform, a plurality of sections, each of said sections provided with a plurality of peripheral faces disposed at an angle with respect to each other, said sections arranged in side by side relation and encompassing said platform with the proximate faces of adjacent faces abutting, thereby providing a substantially uninterrupted supporting surface encompassing said platform, means affording a radial bodily relative movement of said sections one toward and away from the other and out of side by side relation whereby any predetermined one or more of said sections may, when moved away from each other and out of side by side relation, be rotated about its axis to position other faces of its periphery to be moved into different side by side abutting relation tothe proximate face of the next adjacent section, said sections being movable upon ways, and stop devices co-operating with said ways whereby to limit such radial movement of said sections and for maintaining them in xed assembled relation.

GRAEME E. YOUNG. 

